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Aquillonius
Sir Aquillonius Tuathail, also known as the Goldmane, the Flame of the West, or Aquillonius the Mighty, was a renowned knight and paladin of the Second Age. He was one of the eight legendary knights, who both founded the Order of the Wolf and overthrew the Dragonic Empire of Tia'mat, forever banishing her to the abyss. He sacrificed his life, along with his seven companions to forever seal Tia'mat within the Abyss In his life he was a renowned warrior from the Kingdom of Mordvinia, becoming Warmaster of the conflict against Tia'mat and the dragonic legions, as well as the founder of the famous order of paladins, which served as his personal guard during the war, the Knights of the Sacred Flame. Upon his ascension to godhood he gained widespread popularity as a deity, as did all his companions, and now serves as the patron deity of justice and valor on the pantheon of Cairdeas, as well as the chief deity of paladins and clerics. His legacy in life, and now in death as a deity, stands for valor, faith, justice and chivalric duty. His knightly order continues to operate and shield the innocent to this day. Life Aquillonius was born in the Kingdom of Mordvinia, situated in the northwestern part of Cairdeas, to the king Wallaster Tuathil, in the year 3785. Mordvinia a harsh, stormy and unfertile kingdom ruled by the blue dragon minions of Tia'mat, famed for their warlike ways and skills as mercenaries across Cairdeas, seeing most employment in their southern neighbour Gilsdern. Aquillonius himself rose to be a valiant crown prince and accomplished warrior, earning the respect of his peers in the wars against the Ettins of the north, who oten plagued the kingdom. When he was only 17, he personally led a campaign to end the giant threat once and for all, fighting his way to the giant citadel of Groghelm deep within the northern mountains of Bolg. In the ettin king's den, Aquillonius personally faced down the beast, defeating it in single combat. The vice-roy of the kingdom/province of Mordvinia, a red dragon named Glauroth was impressed by the young prince's abilities to slay an enemy that had given the Dragonic legions so much trouble. He gifted him with the Dragonic Kiss, a magical process which gave Aquillonius mastery over dragonfire, being able to conjure it at will. Something the red drake would soon grow to regret. For now Aquillonius seemed a capable and more importantly loyal leader however, and his ascension to the throne would, at least in the dragon's eyes, leave one less Mordvinia free of giants and an ally to the Dragon Empress. When his father died in the year 3810 AD, he did indeed ascend to the throne. Initially his rule seemed quite dull, Mordvinia now free of the giant plague had little else to do but keep to itself and handle domestic affairs. However Aquillonius was in fact brewing treachery. Tia'mat and the dragons as a whole had grown more voracious since the time of his father, and their taxes levied upon his people were becoming more and more extortionary. Pretty soon they would not be stable enough to provide the tithe, and the dragons would start collecting his citizens as payment. Inspired by the rebellious geurilla war of Sir Owenidus in the Bay of Babel region to the east, he decided to meet this rogue knight. In secret he invited him to the capital of Novgorand. Owenidus managed to convince Aquillonius that the dragons would never be satisfied, the kingdoms that made up the empire were able to satisfy them for a time. However they were growing more and more impoverished as the years went on. This contract has a time limit, and eventually when the kingdoms are no longer capable of providing, the dragons would merely burn the world to the ground and consume the ashes. Swayed by the arguments of Owenidus began to prepare for a real war. Babel was a poorer region than Mordvinia, and Mordvinia had the advantage of being able of fielding the most powerful army in the empire. However, the Griffinshorn, the sacred horn of the Griffin kings of his ancestor's had been taken by the dragons when they conquered the kingdom ages past. This horn alone is what allowed the kings of old to call the banners of all of Mordvinia, and the lords of Mordvinia would never consider a rebellion if their leader did not have this relic. Kept in the keep of the very dragon who had gifted him with his fire mending abilities, and surrounded by the imperial garrison it would not be easy. To start their rebellion proper, they would first have to get that horn. quillonius returned to the Kingdom of Ithir to rally his nobles to him, but was immediately beset upon by the blue dragon overlord of Ithir, Zaraka Stormfang. If it wasn't for the actions of Sir Erkinazan and Sir Owenidus who cast a protection spell on him, he would have perished. Upon returning to the capital of Tur Liath, he called his banners. At the battle know known as the Field of Thunder, the three knights met the blue dragon host in battle. Sir Aquillonius faced Zaraka in single combat and felled the beast, as the other two knights felled many of her blue dragon companions. Now with Gaelian secure, they raised an army of 150,000 Gaelians and he and Sir Owenidus and Sir Erkinazan lead the host of Ithir down south to relieve Sir Calaster's ongoing battle with the red dragons of the south. After a long campaign, Aquillonius joined the other eight knights at the battle know known as the ''Deidread Cath, '' where they defeated Tia'mat herself, giving their lives to forever seal her in the abyss. He then is rumoured along with the other knights to have ascended to godhood with the other knights, and becoming a part of the pantheon of Cairdeas. Godhood Aquillonius is recognized as the patron god of Paladins and Clerics, as well as all those who bind themselves to chivalric codes of honor and justice. His patron animal is a winged lion, and his holy symbol is commonly depicted as his famous flaming halberd ''Runefang ''or that of an eight pointed sun.